Sound Playback Is Corrupted Through USB Speakers (305812)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
This article was previously published under Q305812
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

After you plug in USB speakers and allow them to configure automatically, when you use Microsoft Windows Media Player or another multimedia application to play music, the sound quality is broken or fragmented.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because the real-time service that Intel developed for Windows Millennium Edition (Me) is based on the Advanced Program Interrupt Controller (APIC) and is not compatible with mobile power management states.

RESOLUTION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To work around this problem, follow these steps to create a registry entry that disables the real-time service:
  1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
  2. Locate and click the following key in the registry:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft

  3. On the Edit menu, point to New, then click Key. Then enter the Key name as indicated below:

    Key name: RealTime

  4. On the Edit menu, point to New, then click DWORD Value. Then enter the Value name as indicated below:

    Value name: DisableRtExecutive
    Data type: DWORD
    Value data: 1 (0x00000001)

  5. Double-click the new value name, type the Value data as indicated above, and then click OK.
  6. Quit Registry Editor.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/28/2004
Keywords:kbfix kbprb KB305812
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.